Thursday, 25 June 2009

Well they gone and done it - Caroline & Tide have qualified for Ticket in Obedience. Well you know me guys, I am so thrilled and proud of you both, yes - even grumpy bugs ;-). Mega well dones and look forward to cracking open the champagne when you come back to the agility circuit. And Spin on the same day won the B Test, as they say wooooohooooooooo!

Some may say labelling things as a 'journey', is a a tad sentimental or corny, but hey I don't care. Part of the celebration of arriving at a destination/goal is an acknowledgement/reflection of the journey to 'arriving there'.

Sunday, 21 June 2009

With mixed feelings we headed to Newton Heath, keen to go for a break and the glorious scenery. Tatton Park is is really pretty in the grand house tradition that GB is so known for. Great as a back drop to an agility show. Well, a tale in itself, Marc and Wings won grade six agility. Amazing really, our aspirations for Wings when we took her on, was for her to learn that humans actually are really useful and nice and that training is a hoot….. so anything else is a bonus, and blimey I have never seen them run so smooth and swift. And people’s reaction, will give you some idea, as they went “great, really what with Wings?”, and it caused many a chuckle. The reaction is not because she is not any good, but sometimes, she just never really lets rip, and some days she just has a flash of where she really loosens up, the rolling in the sheep ‘dos’ gave us a clue. And whilst the red ribbon and trophy, will mean nothing to her, to us it is a symbol of a journey well worth travelling, when taking on a dog that has more baggage than an airport luggage conveyor belt.

It gave us more time, to come to terms with Raz’s condition, however, Marc was much more cautious about running him in agility, and is uncertain, how much longer they will attempt to do agility. Whilst, yes he does have vision in one eye, that eye at times will have the ‘floaters’ increasing, until the same thing happens in the other eye. So far research shows that there is nothing that can be done that would have a useful outcome. So the tick-tock of time will be trundling on, bugger, but as long as he has a quality of life, we will try to do our best.

Rivi’ had some places this weekend, at each show I learn something new, her playing is becoming more for the fun of playing rather than a going through the motion of playing. A return to pre-hormonal Rivi, Yahoo :-) Which I am thrilled with, she is getting faster and as a consequence when walking a course, I am trying to plan several handling scenarios, as I cannot quite work out where she and I will be in relation to certain pivotal points of the course. She is still spooking at insects on the ground and I am learning how to help her best, when this happens. She is a funnyoli at times, for sure. The speed and the play……………….oh yeah…Superoli

The Zev, surpassed himself this weekend and sat on my lap, to watch the Medium Champ Agility in quiet mode!!!! But the side way glances he gave me, were worthy of on an oscar winning performance. They made me feel really, really guilty, but I persevered. You would have thought I had sat him on my lap and said “Zev, no more pig ears, sausages, digging, sleeping on the human bed or cool kongs - ever”. Boy, does he know how to press ‘my buttons’. Needless to say, his quietness was duly rewarded good and proper.

Big, he continues to grow his fan club, Marc, is really embracing Poodledom, and it is such a hoot.

Many congratulations to Lesley and Toot, Leah & Hex, Helen and Nellie-Bean, Alan & Jude and Kon & Rada, fabulous agility results. And to everyone else, otherwise I will be typing until midnight!

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

Life really seems to throw the joy and then a bucket of sh.t, just so we don’t get to complacent - I guess. Today the specialist eye vet, confirmed our fears. The vit. degeneration has produced a retina detachment in Raz’s left eye - costing him his sight in that eye. Last year it was confirmed that he had a vit. degeneration, which is why he had floaters in his eye and that the condition would eventually cause the retina to detach. I know we knew this would happen, but always hoped that it would happen when he is older. Well actually we hoped it would never happen, but it happened when he is six and in his prime. His right eye will eventually go the same way. He is having steroids to prevent infection and reduce inflammation. How Marc and Raz have managed to get round a champ course this year, has left me quite amazed. Damm life throwing the bucket of sh.t………….and for once I would have so loved to have been wrong.

Saturday, 6 June 2009

Guys, congratulations on doing the deed. So sorry I am not there today. I guess the guys need a quality dog sitter and surprize, surprize that is me. Have a fantastic life together. Boogie to this song, whilst drinking champagne, it is a great mix :-)

Love Christine x

p.s Marc dont forget to dance!

p.p.s Helena for you, these Wynne's may drive us crazy at times but they are so worth it.

Friday, 5 June 2009

Here is a Zev Man update. The photo shows Zev after he has dug a major hole in the flower bed, I think he wants me to replant the conifer as it is now leaning more than the Tower of Pisa. The amazing thing was his paws were still clean. How did he manage that?What can I say at 15 months he has very much become a teenager. He wants to hump things and is so frustrated, I wonder if my plans to have him ‘snipped’ at Christmas might be brought forward. But some friends are like 'oh no you can’t he is to good'. A guilt trip is the last thing I need. As I always feel guilty about this - ethics and all that. But I have to do what is best for him. For now he is a typical teenage with moments of being very very distracted, marky, sniffy and shouty which is understandable. This means I need to be more considerate, which I do try to be and generally I am. However, I must confess on Saturday I did shout back “shut up” and Zev, was so cool, like ‘yeah, whatever luv” which cracked me up. And mentally I thought what a doughnut to myself (me that is not Zev, but hey I am not perfect)But don’t be fooled by these descriptions he is still totally my beautiful man. I cannot get that darn song out of my head, coz he is just so great. Especially from that bit where it goes “when he began to dance with me”. How did someone write such a beautiful song, how did someone breed such a beautiful dog to go with the song? From a relationship point of view I can’t ask for 3 better dogs. When we walk in the morning, once they are over the initial ‘blow out’ they walk by my side voluntarily or check where I am if they get ahead, I am so chuffed with this. I guess some people can say so they should, but it is so much more rewarding when it’s because they choose.

His agility is coming on nicely, he is so very different to Rivi and that makes it better for me switching between them. For his weaves we did the channels and within 5 weeks he was weaving, we so did not get the 2x2 together. Although we get 2x2 now we have done the channels ha ha ha. We have also been doing 'round the show training' - play hard whilst watching two teams run - then settle for watching one team. This seems to be working ;-)

Thursday, 4 June 2009

Hinckley like Mid-downs results on paper not so good, but again there were bits that I felt like we are so going up a gear, and Babyoli is really getting the idea that when we do the ring it means a bonus play sessions. This has required me to be quite ruthless with people who want to talk after me and Rivi have just done a round, “sorry, got to play with Rivi” and I walk off playing with my girl. … if I want to maximise Rivi’s interest in working with me, then she needs to know that I pay out ‘mega’ bucks for effort. This she is realising and I am chuffed to bits. I did this with Nuts and it really raised his and our game when competing.

Her sisters had a super weekend results wise so well done to them. Hinckley was a fab show and my only complaint was I did not want to go home TY :-)

Luv this puppy photo of Rivi, with that oh so serious face.

Off on another tangent - It is weird with the camping at agility shows this year as there is some shows segregating the helpers and non-helpers camping areas and it just does not feel right. Most people want to camp with their club or circle of agility friends. Marc and I help at several shows during the year including the KC club one we belong to, which is a two day show. But at some shows we want to focus on ourselves and our agility and have some time together.It is of course right that those helping on the rings all day are parked close to the rings. But really segregation – non-helpers camping area - has no place, not when you do put something back? So we are going to a couple of shows effectively in the perceived ‘naughty’ corner and it does make me cross at the unfairness of the labelling and the act of segregating. Oh it is a bugger’s muddle for sure and there has to be a better way :-( And lets face it, is it really going to encourage people to help, I think not! You think ‘doggy’ people would get by now that punishment is not as effective as rewarding when wanting to elicit certain behaviours. Punishment generally acts as a suppressor or diverter, either way not good in the long term!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

Rivi aka Nedlo Drives Me Wild - AWG

Nuts aka Woodsorrel Drives Me Nuts

Storm aka Storm's A Brewing

My boy, who taught me so much. Thank you and miss you. Took me from Elementary to Novice, in his final year of agility was second overall for the Novice Classic and finished third in the final - DINAS 2004. In Obedience Storm took me from Pre-Beginner to 'A'

Wings aka Woodsorrel Bright Wings

Marc & Wings, a journey indeed - came to us with more baggage than a airport luggage conveyor belt, not that you would know that now :-) Grade 6 in agility with one agility win to Grade 7. Won the KC Novice Cup 2007 and Qualified Crufts Team 2011. Now retired to watch TV and herd to her hearts content.

Raz aka Woodsorrel Crazy Nut

Marc's crazy sweet dog – Obedience C only and Grade 7 - Championship level in Agility. Raz had floaters in his eyes that cause blurring since birth, which build up and cause the retinal detachment. At 6 he finally became blind in one eye and worsening poor vision in the other due to retinal detachment, which meant he was retired at 6 years old. It is amazing and a testament to Marc's handling that Raz did as well as he did. The problem is hereditary / CEA. Raz also has the occasional 'fit' and intolerant of any cereal ie wheat/maize.

Tri aka No spills Tri Thrills

Marc's girl - sorely missed - one fantastic season going senior and to the semi's before being retired at 3 years old - due to chroic hd/back and heart problems. That one year was a golden summer of agility, watching them run together was simply thrilling. Her previous owners had brought her from a pet shop, fortunately they rehomed her to us when she was a around a year old.